People frequently talk about the great wheel as being an important part of the D&D cosmology, but in practice very few of them have ever been important to any game I've been in, so I'm curious how much people actually use them (question is both for players and for DMs)
I LOVE to use them; and plan to use quite a few in the near future.
A friend of mine had an apocalyptic campaign where the party had to briefly enter the Abyss in a desperate bid for power to combat an aberrant invasion (by making a deal with Glasya, no less…horrible decisions all around!).
Anyway, we ended up having to protect ourselves by agreeing to help Ooblex gain territory in his layer on the Abyss against Zuggtamoya (apologies if I misspelled either of those names).
This helped us side-step the horrible pools of ooze & acid…but the fungus remained a constant threat (which by the time we encountered a dormant Zuggtamoya; resulted in two of us being susceptible to mind control from the spores accidentally inhaled).
I love using extraplanar terrain in interesting ways.
I plan on using both Mt. Celestia & Bytopia in my own current campaign…Bytopia has the equivalent to Las Vegas, where the goddesses of joy, pleasure, love & commerce cater to tourists; though you risk losing yourself to the sheer bliss…whereas Mt. Celestia’s multiple levels provides numerous opportunities for encounters with various celestials.
Mechanus will briefly be featured, too…The Doombringer & Hurler of Thunders…Hoar…has his Doomcourt on that plane.
Such fun to be had in places where thoughts & ideals are made manifest!
Long ago and far away, I team DM’d a marathon Nine Hells session, but that was 2e era.
I think that’s it.
full disclosure, I don’t think I have used any outer realms anything except the above since AD&D DMG and first Ed Deities. And most of that time I basically only used Heaven, Hell, Limbo, and Purgatory in my games as outer planes. Always had ethereal and astral, elemental (Paralda rules, Gob needs breath mints), and later a shadow that was actually closer to modern feywild.
so really, my answer is 1. And it was a self contained adventure that took six days nonstop.
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
I've used most, but not all. But then I did crush hard on Planescape for a long time.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I have to point out that the poll doesn't match the question in the title/OP. There isn't an option to say that you haven't used them and/or never plan to use them, so we can't see how often they're used versus not, which is what the title/OP enquires about. If we wanted to answer that question, it should be a yes/no question about whether we've used them or not.
Just a thought.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I have to point out that the poll doesn't match the question in the title/OP. There isn't an option to say that you haven't used them and/or never plan to use them, so we can't see how often they're used versus not, which is what the title/OP enquires about. If we wanted to answer that question, it should be a yes/no question about whether we've used them or not.
Then you don't get the vote for that to compare, which is my point.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Then you don't get the vote for that to compare, which is my point.
Yup. Needs a "None" option at the least. We could try to assume how many people viewed and chose not to vote, but that's an assumption and what are we to assume if someone chooses to not vote? Is it that they don't use any of those planes or is it simply not wanting to vote at all?
Not all Planes are directly visited but still have influences in some campaigns. Denizens from the Planes brings part of their Plane's lore into wherever they are.
Bahamut? Mount Celestia (according to some sources).
Heck. It can be indirect influences.
Refugees from Elturel? The Nine Hells.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Thus far I've only included Ysgard and The Abyss in my game, and that only in short background stints. The Eyrie also featured in my game (not on the list).
I do intend to make use of more of them, I just need it to make sense for my campaign! It does make sense that they will be rarely used, as the game is about dungeons and dragons, which are all on the material plane!
"you arrive through a grey portal and step out onto the grey ground under a grey sky. you suddenly feel very sad. roll a wisdom saving throw to resist feeling so sad you turn into a bug."
Uh, ahem, I mean, I find the planes... fine as an explanation for where certain monsters come from, sometimes, but by and large most of them are pretty one-note by design, other than maybe the Nine Hells and the Abyss (and then just because those are structured around specific characters). I've got no real plans to use any of them, not directly.
I've used most, but not all. But then I did crush hard on Planescape for a long time.
I still crush hard on Planescape. I am currently DMing a Planescape campaign, mixing it with Spelljammer. I haven't sent any of my players to the various Outer Planes (other than the Outlands and Sigil), yet, because they are low level, but when they reach L9 then I plan on using the Outer Planes more frequently.
Since I moved to 5e, I have not used any of the outer planes, but hadn't really thought about it until your post. In my mind I always thought of the outer planes as being for high level play, and since we've never gotten that high, we've never gone. That, however, is a mistake on my part. As I think about it more, it would be cool to have low level parties end up, even briefly, in the outer planes. There is a great opportunity to tell stories about how these low level adventurers deal with the sudden realization of how big the "world" really is compared to what they have known in their small bubble, especially if they end up somewhere horrible, like the Nine Hells.
Imagine a group of 4th level adventurers fighting off a small warband of bug bears attacking their village, and thinking "Wow, that was cool! We did it! We're awesome" and then suddenly they find themselves on a cliff in hell looking down on the massing armies there.
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"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I've used most all of them and even try to plan out future ideas to hopefully hit every single one at least once if not multiple times (plus all of the Transitive and Inner Planes as well!). In fact, my players don't know it yet, and thankfully don't read this forums, but they are getting dropped into Limbo tonight with a transition to Pandemonium.
I am a massive fan of the Planes and can't get enough of them. Unfortunately, I think I'm more into them than my players, so I use them sparingly! :D
They are basically the homes of the gods and thus who would have the power to go to them? And why? If you want to talk to a God just ask him.
The Astral and Ethereal planes are all we have ever used. The Fey and Shadow world/plane might be someplace to go. Anything more not really.
I was thinking of making up a demi plane system were each demi plane is just like the prime but with a few changes. More or less tech or magic, the native inhabitants are other intelligent species. One plane might be inhabited by orcs instead of humans, or Elves or dwarves.
Occasionally I try to do something for a group of epic level characters I have and that has involved the planes a bit. They visited the Abyss to free Waukegan from Grzz’t, they did a bit in the Feywild and a lot in the Shadowfell culminating in a battle with Shar and her 4th son but most of that was either in 3.5 or 4e not 5e.since 5e they haven’t really come into play.
I still crush hard on Planescape. I am currently DMing a Planescape campaign, mixing it with Spelljammer. I haven't sent any of my players to the various Outer Planes (other than the Outlands and Sigil), yet, because they are low level, but when they reach L9 then I plan on using the Outer Planes more frequently.
Well - in my E6 game, my players just hopped through a portal to the astral plane, in which they're now aboard a spelljammer vessel =D
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
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People frequently talk about the great wheel as being an important part of the D&D cosmology, but in practice very few of them have ever been important to any game I've been in, so I'm curious how much people actually use them (question is both for players and for DMs)
I LOVE to use them; and plan to use quite a few in the near future.
A friend of mine had an apocalyptic campaign where the party had to briefly enter the Abyss in a desperate bid for power to combat an aberrant invasion (by making a deal with Glasya, no less…horrible decisions all around!).
Anyway, we ended up having to protect ourselves by agreeing to help Ooblex gain territory in his layer on the Abyss against Zuggtamoya (apologies if I misspelled either of those names).
This helped us side-step the horrible pools of ooze & acid…but the fungus remained a constant threat (which by the time we encountered a dormant Zuggtamoya; resulted in two of us being susceptible to mind control from the spores accidentally inhaled).
I love using extraplanar terrain in interesting ways.
I plan on using both Mt. Celestia & Bytopia in my own current campaign…Bytopia has the equivalent to Las Vegas, where the goddesses of joy, pleasure, love & commerce cater to tourists; though you risk losing yourself to the sheer bliss…whereas Mt. Celestia’s multiple levels provides numerous opportunities for encounters with various celestials.
Mechanus will briefly be featured, too…The Doombringer & Hurler of Thunders…Hoar…has his Doomcourt on that plane.
Such fun to be had in places where thoughts & ideals are made manifest!
Hmmm.
Long ago and far away, I team DM’d a marathon Nine Hells session, but that was 2e era.
I think that’s it.
full disclosure, I don’t think I have used any outer realms anything except the above since AD&D DMG and first Ed Deities. And most of that time I basically only used Heaven, Hell, Limbo, and Purgatory in my games as outer planes. Always had ethereal and astral, elemental (Paralda rules, Gob needs breath mints), and later a shadow that was actually closer to modern feywild.
so really, my answer is 1. And it was a self contained adventure that took six days nonstop.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
My game is in Eberron, where all those planes don’t exist, so I don’t use any of them.
I've used most, but not all. But then I did crush hard on Planescape for a long time.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I have to point out that the poll doesn't match the question in the title/OP. There isn't an option to say that you haven't used them and/or never plan to use them, so we can't see how often they're used versus not, which is what the title/OP enquires about. If we wanted to answer that question, it should be a yes/no question about whether we've used them or not.
Just a thought.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
If the answer is 'none', don't check any boxes.
Then you don't get the vote for that to compare, which is my point.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yup. Needs a "None" option at the least. We could try to assume how many people viewed and chose not to vote, but that's an assumption and what are we to assume if someone chooses to not vote? Is it that they don't use any of those planes or is it simply not wanting to vote at all?
Not all Planes are directly visited but still have influences in some campaigns. Denizens from the Planes brings part of their Plane's lore into wherever they are.
Bahamut? Mount Celestia (according to some sources).
Heck. It can be indirect influences.
Refugees from Elturel? The Nine Hells.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Thus far I've only included Ysgard and The Abyss in my game, and that only in short background stints. The Eyrie also featured in my game (not on the list).
I do intend to make use of more of them, I just need it to make sense for my campaign! It does make sense that they will be rarely used, as the game is about dungeons and dragons, which are all on the material plane!
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can't wait to send my players to hades
"you arrive through a grey portal and step out onto the grey ground under a grey sky. you suddenly feel very sad. roll a wisdom saving throw to resist feeling so sad you turn into a bug."
Uh, ahem, I mean, I find the planes... fine as an explanation for where certain monsters come from, sometimes, but by and large most of them are pretty one-note by design, other than maybe the Nine Hells and the Abyss (and then just because those are structured around specific characters). I've got no real plans to use any of them, not directly.
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
I still crush hard on Planescape. I am currently DMing a Planescape campaign, mixing it with Spelljammer. I haven't sent any of my players to the various Outer Planes (other than the Outlands and Sigil), yet, because they are low level, but when they reach L9 then I plan on using the Outer Planes more frequently.
Since I moved to 5e, I have not used any of the outer planes, but hadn't really thought about it until your post. In my mind I always thought of the outer planes as being for high level play, and since we've never gotten that high, we've never gone. That, however, is a mistake on my part. As I think about it more, it would be cool to have low level parties end up, even briefly, in the outer planes. There is a great opportunity to tell stories about how these low level adventurers deal with the sudden realization of how big the "world" really is compared to what they have known in their small bubble, especially if they end up somewhere horrible, like the Nine Hells.
Imagine a group of 4th level adventurers fighting off a small warband of bug bears attacking their village, and thinking "Wow, that was cool! We did it! We're awesome" and then suddenly they find themselves on a cliff in hell looking down on the massing armies there.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Yeah you do. The bars show "x% of users", so if you vote without selecting any entries, it will reduce the percentages for every location.
You can't vote without selecting any entries. I tried.
Huh. Okay, that will be a lesson for the next time I create a poll I guess. Can't edit an existing one.
I've used most all of them and even try to plan out future ideas to hopefully hit every single one at least once if not multiple times (plus all of the Transitive and Inner Planes as well!). In fact, my players don't know it yet, and thankfully don't read this forums, but they are getting dropped into Limbo tonight with a transition to Pandemonium.
I am a massive fan of the Planes and can't get enough of them. Unfortunately, I think I'm more into them than my players, so I use them sparingly! :D
In 40 years I have never used them.
They are basically the homes of the gods and thus who would have the power to go to them? And why? If you want to talk to a God just ask him.
The Astral and Ethereal planes are all we have ever used. The Fey and Shadow world/plane might be someplace to go. Anything more not really.
I was thinking of making up a demi plane system were each demi plane is just like the prime but with a few changes. More or less tech or magic, the native inhabitants are other intelligent species. One plane might be inhabited by orcs instead of humans, or Elves or dwarves.
Occasionally I try to do something for a group of epic level characters I have and that has involved the planes a bit. They visited the Abyss to free Waukegan from Grzz’t, they did a bit in the Feywild and a lot in the Shadowfell culminating in a battle with Shar and her 4th son but most of that was either in 3.5 or 4e not 5e.since 5e they haven’t really come into play.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Well - in my E6 game, my players just hopped through a portal to the astral plane, in which they're now aboard a spelljammer vessel =D
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.